Maybe a dream of yours is to have a yard where your dog can run around and just be a dog. But currently you’re living in a walk-up or high-rise and have no plans to move. The good news is you can be an apartment dweller and the owner of a happy dog. It just takes some research into the right breed for your living situation.
Contrary to popular belief, small dogs don’t necessarily make good apartment dogs. Some small dogs are simply too high-energy and noisy for apartment life. Good qualities to look for in an apartment dog are a quiet temperament, lower energy, and a capacity to be fairly calm indoors.
Below is a selection of dogs well suited to apartment living according to dogtime.com, which takes into account not only the breed’s size but also their temperament. Although this list focuses on purebreds, don’t overlook mixed breeds. Mutts can often display the best qualities of several breeds and are more commonly available for adoption.
- Bichon Frise
- Boxer
- Bulldog
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chinese Shar-Pei
- Dachshund
- Greyhound
- Pug
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
Find dogtime.com’s complete list of dogs that adapt well to apartment living here. The very first step, before starting your dog search, is to make sure your building is pet-friendly, or that your lease allows for pets if you’re a renter. Good luck!